Electrolytic reducing and amalgamating sluice



No. fi|7,024. Patented Ian. 3, I899. .I. H. JURY.

ELECTROLYTIC REDUCING AND AMALGAMATING SLUICE.

(Application filed may 27, 1897.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

No. 617,024. Patented Jan. 3, I899.

J. H. mm. ELECTROLYTIC REDUCING AND AMALGAMATING SLUICE.

(Application filed May 27, 1897.) (No Model.) 2 S.heats-Sheet 2.

'11 ways m: NORRIS FETERS ca. momumo" wnsmuu'rom n, c.

TATES ATEN'I JOSEPH II. JORY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

SPECIFIGATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 617,024, dated January 3, 1899. Application filed May 27, 1897. erlal No. 638,427. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom, it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH H. JORY, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a new and useful Electrolytic Reducing and Amalgamating Sluice, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electrolytic reducing and amalgamating sluices.

The fundamental object of the invention is to provide means for. extracting gold, silver, and other metals from slimes and solutions, and is especially intended in the nature of an improvement upon the process and apparatus disclosed in my former patent, No. 509,912.

The main and primary object contemplated by the present invention is to provide certain new and useful electrical connections for the sluice whereby the apparatus is made more intensely electrolytic in its action and whereby it is possible to greatly increase the size of the capillary passages, so as to enlarge the capacity of the sluice,while at the same time rendering the reducing, amalgamating, and depositing action certain and thorough.

While it is the purpose of the present invention to equip the sluice with a novel arrangement of electrical connections,a further object is to facilitate the reducing, amalgamating, and depositing action by resorting to certain expedients, which will be hereinafter fully explained.

WVith these and other objects in View the invention resides in certain novel features hereinafter fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sluice embodying the improved features contemplated by this invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional View thereof. Fig. 3 is a horizontal longitudinal sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional View showing more clearly the connection of the conducting-screws with the pivot-studs of the plates. Fig. 5 is a detail in perspective of one of the adjustable plates. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view showing a modification in which the alternate positive plates of the series are incased in a protective covering.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates an elongated rectangular sluicebox constructed of a suitable length and depth, so as to accommodate the discharge from a stamp-battery, pulp from amalgamating-pans, the flow of solutions from vats, &c. The elongated sluice-box 1 is open at the top and has fitted to one top end thereof a feedtrough 2, which serves to flow the substances into the sluice-box, and the latter is further provided at one bottom end opposite the feedtrough 2 with a tailings spout or sluice 3, communicating with the interior bottom portion of the sluice-box and serving as a discharge for the exhausted slimes, pulps, or solutions which are passed through the box.

At opposite inner sides of the sluice-box are arranged the opposite longitudinally-dis posed hanger-plates 4, constructed as disclosed in my former patentand provided with a series of regularly-spaced bearing-openings 5 to receive therein the opposite pivot-studs 6, projected from opposite side edges of the flat plates 7, near the upper ends of the latter. The plates 7, which are pivotally hung between the opposite hanger plates or cleats 4, extend in a series longitudinally of the sluice-box from a point below the feed-trough 2 to the opposite end of the box, and in some cases are preferably of copper amalgamated on both faces.

The plates 7 may be disposed vertically or at an inclination, but maintain a parallelism to provide minute or capillary flow-passages therebetween, and said plates are provided near their lower ends, at opposite side edges, with oifstanding adjusting pins or studs 8, which are loosely engaged in opposite side portions 9 of the sliding adj usting-frame 10, mounted to slide directly on the bottom of the sluice-box and having swiveled to one end thereof, as at 11, the inner end of the adjusting-screw 12, mounted to turn in an opening in one end of the sluice-box to provide means for moving the frame 10 in a longitudinal direction, thereby causing the entire series of the plates 7 to swing on their pivot-studs and vary the size of the minute or capillary passages therebetween, as may be required. The construction, arrangement, and adjustment of parts are essentiallythe same as those described in my former patcut, and the present invention also contem plates the use of the oppositely-located floodgates 14. The gates 14.- are respectively arranged within the upper part of the sluicebox, at opposite ends of the series of parallel oblique plates 7, and are supported in a position with their lower edges held in watertight contact with the end plates of the series to provide means for confining the fluid matter within the upper portion of the sluice-box on top of the series of plates, so as to force such liquid matter containing the metallic ores in suspension orin solution through the capillary passages between such plates.

In the construction of the sluice as described it has been found to be important to employ material of su fficient strength to resist wear and which at the same time will be a non-conductor of electricity, and for this purpose the present invention provides for the portions of the interior of the sluice-box which have a contact with the charged plates being made of iron well covered with a silicate or other good non-conducting material or of vulcanized rubber, celluloid, or other non-conducting substance having sufficient strength for the purpose.

To provide the proper electrical connection for the plates 7, there are arranged on opposite exterior sides of the sluice-box the oppositelylocated conducting-strips 15, extending longitudinally from end to end of the boX and each provided at one end with a binding-post connection 16, in which is secured one terminal of a charging-wire a, the other terminal of which wire connects with one pole of a dynamo or other source of electrical energy. The separate wires to a, are intended to complete a circuit through the plates; but by reason of one wire being connected to each of the conducting-strips 15 it is to be observed that one of said strips will be connected directly with the positive pole of the dynamo or other source of electrical energy, while the other conducting-strip will be connected with the positive pole, whereby the two conductingstrips will maintain the relation of positive and negative electrodes, respectively. The opposite longitudinally-disposed conductingstrips 15 are arranged in the same horizontal plane as the upper pivot-studs 6 of the plates, which studs are loosely hung in the bearingopenings 5 of the hangers 4, and in the present invention are formed in their ends with the contact-cavities 17, adapted to hold a drop its outer end with a finger-head 21 for manipulatin g the same and has mounted thereon eX- terior to the sluice-box a clamping-nut 22, adapted to be screwed tight against the adjacent conducting-strip 15 to insure a proper electrical connection between the screw and the conducting-strip, while at the same time serving to hold the screw firmly in its adjusted position.

The conducting-screws do not serve as supports for the plates, but are simply intended to provide means for electrically charging each plate, it being observed that the cond ucting-strips 15, which are in metallic contact with the conducting-screws, are insulated from each other and the interior of the sluicebox. The series of conducting-screws 19 at each side of the sluice-box make contact with every alternate plate, so that the conductingstrip 15 at one side of the box is in connection with one-half of the entire number of plates, while the opposite conducting-strip is in connection with the remaining half of the entire number of plates. WVhen it is desired to remove the plates from their hangers 4, it is simply necessary to turn the screws 19 out of the bearing-openings 5 in said hangers to permit the plates to be removed in the manner fully explained in my former patent.

By reason of metallically connecting alternate plates with one of the strips 15 through the medium of the conducting-screws 19 it will be observed that when the electric current is established over the circuitwires a the plates 7 will alternate, respectively, as positively and negatively charged plates throughout the entire series of such plates in the sluice-box, or, in other Words, each alternate plate becomes an anode and each remaining plate becomes a cathode, so it will be understood that each capillary passage or channel is formed between a positively and a negatively charged plate.

The specific electrical connections described greatly enlarge the capacity, force, and certainty of the amalgamating and 'reducing processes carried out in using the appara'tu's and renders possible the extraction of metals from a largely-increased fiow 0t fluids, holding the same in suspension or solution, while at the same time the said electrical connections insurean even distribution of electric current, facilitate chemical reactions, and also provide for maintaining the activity of the process,even though any particular capillary passage or channel should become closed. In those operations described in my former patent wherein plates of difierent metals may be employed consecutively or alternately, as in the case of precipitating the precious metals from solutions, it is preferable that those plates forming the positive plates or poles be formed of carbon or equivalent mineral having little affinity to the chemical reagent employed, while the plates which are negatively charged should be made of copper, silver, or other good conducting metal, although in certain cases it has been found that lead offers some advantages in its use, and at times may therefore be employed for the cathodes of the apparatus. However, this invention contemplates the use of copper or iron plates as the permanent negative plates, to which the lead or other easily-fused and readily-oxidizable metal may be attached in any suitable mannersuch, for instance, as folding sheets of foil of the desired metal or alloy around the plates or by dipping these plates into a bath of the metal, either of which methods will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. In the latter case, where the plates are dipped in the bath, the fusible metal, together with the precious metals deposited thereon, may be removed by heating the plates, while in the former case it is simply necessary for the purpose of recovering the deposits to unfold the foil covering or coating of the plates. The advantages of this part of the invention reside in the preservation of the plates as a permanent part of the apparatus, the small amount of lead necessary to be handled, and the consequent diminution in the loss and cost incident to the use of the sluice.

In the construction disclosed in my former patent it sometimes occurs, owing to imperfect construction or from some conducting particle lodging in the capillary passages, that a short circuit is produced, and to obviate this objection the present invention contemplates enveloping the positive plates of the series in a protective covering or envelop 23, as illustrated in Fig. 6, which protective covering or envelop may be made of any suitable fibrous non-conducting material, such as cotton cloth, said covering or envelop preventing metallic contact of the opposite plates at any point.

In certain conditions of the ores treated the slimes and solutions have been found to be of insufficient conductive power to give perfect results, so in such cases the fluids may be charged with an acid or withan alkaline solution to correct this objection, the acid or alkaline being used according to the character of the fluid and the nature of the special case. Under other conditions it has also been found that the gold or silver contained in the solution has become separated into two parts, one of which parts follows the positive elements to the negative plates, while the other part or portion of the metals follows the negative elements to the positive plates, and thus occasions a source of loss. To remedy this, there should be used a suitable metallic salt or solution of some suitable metal, so as to cause an excess of positive elements, under which condition the entire metallic contents are deposited on the oathodes. When the deposit is to be made onto lead plates, a solution of lead is most suitable for this purpose; but if the process is simply a process of amalgamation on the amalgamated surfaces of the plates then a solution of mercury will be required.

In some complex conditions of the ores treated it is sometimes necessary to use a combination of metallic solutions, and these conditions may be readily determined by the skilled metallurgist.

The same general conditions stated, with such modification as may be rendered necessary by the chemical or physical differences of the fluids operated on, apply to chemical solutions or fluids holding metallic particles in suspension, the apparatus and process already described aifording in the latter case valuable means for cheaply extracting gold and silver from refractory ores and from those slimes which now constitute the greatest source of loss in milling operations. The electrolytic effect of decomposing solutions provides effective means for the depositing of gold, silver, copper, and other metals and the precipitation and extraction of gold and silver from their solutions found in sea-water.

In explanation of the character of the plates 7 it may be said that these plates can be properlyterined amalgamatingplates in certain cases, as said plates are preferably of copper amalgamated on both sides, when the same form the cathodes in the amalgamating process, and also when they form the cathodes of the reducing or precipitating and depositing processes involving the employment of leadfoil, as previously explained. In the latter process the amalgam serves to bring the lead into more perfect metallic contact with. the permanent copper plates.

In the adjustment of the plates 7,when they are open to their fullest extent, the same are disposed in a vertical position, but incline to an oblique or inclined position as they are brought closer together to contract or diminish the size of the passages therebetween.

Changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a reducing and amalgamating sluice, the sluice-box, a series of plates having at their opposite side edges pivot-studs, metallic contact-strips fitted to the outer sides of the box, and having electrical connections therewith, and a series of conducting-screws mounted in each of said strips, the series of screws at each side of the box having their inner ends engaged with the pivot-studs of every alternate plate, substantially as described.

2. Areducingand alnalgamatingsluicehavingaseries of closely-arranged metallic plates with passages therebetween, suitable electrical connections for alternately charging the plates positively and negatively, and a readily-fusible metallic covering or coating surrounding the permanent negatively-charged plates, substantially as described.

3. Areducingand amalgamatingsluice hav- IIO ing a series of closely-adjacent plates with contracted passages therebetween, electrical connections for alternately charging the plates positively and negatively respectively, and a fibrous or similar protective covering incasing the alternate positive plates, to prevent direct metallic contact of the adjacent plates, substantially as described.

4. In a reducing and amalgamating sluice, the sluice-box, a series of closely-arranged plates having opposite pivot-studs loosely hung at opposite inner sides of the box, metallic conducting-strips fitted to opposite exterior sides of the sluice-box in the same horizontal plane as the pivot-studs, each of said strips having an electrical connection with one pole of a source of electrical energy such as a dynamo, and a series of conductingscrews adj ustably mounted in each conducting-strip and working through openings in the adjacent side of the sluice-box, the series of conducting-screws at each side of the sluicebox being adapted to have their inner ends contact with the pivot-studs of every alternate plate, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH H. JORY.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM J. J ORY, ETHEL J. JoRY. 

